Print In Excel

What Is Print In Excel?

Print in Excel refers to the function and process of generating physical copies of spreadsheet data. This essential feature allows users to present, share, and analyze information in a tangible format for various professional purposes.

As an illustration, our software offers a range of print options accessible through the “Print” feature in the “File” section. These options include Print Active Sheets, Print Entire Workbook, and Print Selection, as demonstrated below.

Print Section
Key Takeaways
  • Print in Excel feature is useful in professional environments requiring detailed analysis and audit trails.
  • By printing formulas instead of values, professionals can easily review and verify complex calculations without referring to individual cells and their respective formulas within the sheet itself.
  • It is crucial to proofread our printed document carefully before distribution to ensure accuracy and eliminate any potential errors that may undermine its professional appearance.
  • With versatile printing settings in Excel, our data will appear precise on paper.

How To Print Spreadsheet In Excel?

To print spreadsheet in Excel, follow these steps to ensure a professional and polished output. Start by selecting the data range or worksheet we wish to print by clicking on the first cell and dragging the cursor to include all desired cells. Then, go to the File tab at the top left corner of the Excel window, choose “Print” from the dropdown menu, and a Print pane will appear on the right-hand side. Review this page for options like selecting specific pages or specifying settings such as page orientation or paper size. Confirm that the “Print Preview” section shows our data appropriately and fits within designated margins. Additionally, consider adjusting the scale to maintain a clear and readable layout. Once satisfied with these parameters, select a printer and press “Print.”


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Top 12 Useful Tips To Consider Before Taking A Print In Excel

#1 – Check Whether The Printer Is Connected Or Not

First, we have to ensure that the computer and the printer are properly connected. Next, we can join or add the printer in Excel by utilizing the File and Print options.

-How To Connect & Add A Printer?

To begin, open an Excel workbook and navigate to the “File” tab. From there, select the “Print” option.

Print in Excel - Useful tips 1

Moving on, a printer dropdown menu will appear. Click on the option labeled “Add Printer.”

Print in Excel - Useful tips 1 - Add Printer

#2 – Printing A Worksheet Either In Landscape Or Portrait Orientation

By default, worksheets are printed in portrait orientation, meaning they are taller than wide. However, there are options available to us that allow us to change the page orientation to landscape mode on a worksheet-by-worksheet basis, enhancing the overall appearance.

To accomplish this, we can follow the steps outlined below. However, it is important to note that we must select the specific worksheet or worksheets we wish to modify the orientation.

To apply page orientation to multiple or adjacent sheets, begin by clicking on the tab for the first sheet. Next, hold down the “Shift” key while selecting the tab for the last sheet or any other sheets we wish to include. This action will ensure that the chosen page orientation settings are applied uniformly across the selected sheets.

Print in Excel - Useful tips 2

#3 – Setting A Print Area

To define or create a print area for selected data, we can utilize the “Print Area” option in Excel. This feature lets us choose specific cells on a worksheet. They can be printed separately from the rest of the page based on our selection.

To set up a print area, follow these steps:

1. Open an Excel worksheet containing the desired data.
2. Highlight the cells that we wish to include in the printout.
3. Navigate to the “Page Layout” tab and locate the “Print Area” option.
4. Click on “Print Area” and then select “Set Print Area” from the “Page Setup” excel section.

Following these steps, we can establish a designated print area for our selected data, allowing for a more organized and efficient printing process.

This feature is particularly useful when we only need to print specific information from our worksheet, saving time and resources.

Print in Excel - Useful tips 3 - Set Print Area

The print area will be saved automatically when we save the workbook. Only the data defined in the print area will be considered when printing a specific worksheet. To ensure accuracy, it is recommended to clear the print area after taking the printout. Follow the steps below to clear the print area: navigate to the “Page Layout” tab, select “Print Area,” and then choose “Clear Print Area.”

Print in Excel - Useful tips 3 - Clear Print Area.jpg

#4 – Page Breaks In A Worksheet

We can control page breaks within a worksheet to ensure the optimal layout and printing of documents in Excel. This is particularly useful when dealing with multi-page documents or when specific formatting requirements must be met.

By default, Excel automatically inserts page breaks based on factors such as paper size, scale options, margin settings, and any manual page breaks we manually insert. However, we can adjust these page breaks to achieve the desired number of pages for printing purposes.

Using the “Page Break Preview” feature, we can visualize and manage page breaks in excel. In this view, automatically added dashed lines represent page breaks, while manually added page breaks are depicted by solid lines.

Using page break controls, we can ensure that our Excel documents are printed precisely and professionally using page break controls.

Print in Excel - Useful tips 4 - Insert Page break

#5 – Page Layout & Print Preview

We offer the flexibility to include or exclude gridlines when printing data.

To enable gridlines for printing, navigate to the “Page Layout” tab and locate the “Gridlines” section within the “Sheet” options. Make sure to select the checkbox labeled “Print.”

By doing so, when we print our document, we will have visible lines separating the cells, providing a clear structure.

Print in Excel - Useful tips 5 - Print

Additionally, under the “Page Layout” tab, within the “Sheet” options, we can display row numbers and column alphabets on our printed document. To activate this feature, simply select the checkbox labeled “Print.”

Print in Excel - Useful tips 5 - Print label

#6 – Number Of Spreadsheet Report Copies

When we want to print a document, the default setting is to produce only one copy. However, we can increase the number of copies by using the arrows next to the copies box. Additionally, our printer allows us to choose between printing on both sides of the paper or a single side, depending on our preference.

Print in Excel - Useful tips 6 - Report copies

#7 – Collate The Pages Of Each Copy (Either Collated Or Uncollated)

If Excel contains multiple pages, we can switch between the “Collated” and “Uncollated” settings.

To illustrate, let’s say we need to print out three copies of a document. When selecting the “Collated” option, Excel will print the entire first copy, the complete second copy, the subsequent third copy, and so on. On the other hand, if we choose the “Uncollated” option, Excel will print three copies of page 1, three copies of page 2, and then three copies of page 3.

Print in Excel - Useful tips 7 - Collated or Uncollated

#8 – Change The Paper Size Based On Your Requirement

To change the paper size, users can navigate to the Page Layout tab in the ribbon menu and click the “Size” button within the “Page Setup” group. This will open a drop-down menu with predefined paper sizes such as Letter, A4, Legal, and more. However, users also have the option to set a custom paper size by clicking on the “More Paper Sizes” link at the bottom of the drop-down menu. 

Print in Excel - Useful tips 8 - Paper Size

#9 – Change The Page Margins From The Default Normal Margins To Either Wide Or Narrow

Adjusting the page margins to either wide or narrow can significantly impact how the spreadsheet’s content is presented when printing. Wide margins offer white space around the edges of each printed page, providing an aesthetic balance and ensuring that important data doesn’t get too close to the page borders. On the other hand, opting for narrow margins maximizes printable space, allowing for larger tables and more information on a single page.

Useful tips 9 - Paper Margin

#10 – Scaling Options

If we inadvertently omit the last rows or columns on a single page. In such cases, we can utilize the “Width,” “Height,” and “Scale” options available in the “Print” settings or the “Scale to Fit” group within the “Page Layout” tab to modify these parameters.

Useful tips 10 - Scaling

#11 – Addition Of Headers And Footers In A Worksheet

Headers and footers in excel are crucial in enhancing the professional appearance of a printed spreadsheet. By including essential information such as page numbers in excel, dates, file names, or company logos, headers and footers provide context and clarity to the document. Furthermore, they contribute to its organization by marking each page appropriately. 

Useful tips 11 - Header & Footer

#12 – Print Resolution Or Print Quality For A worksheet

Print resolution or print quality refers to the level of detail and clarity with which a worksheet is printed in Excel. It plays a crucial role in ensuring that the final printed document accurately reflects the content displayed on the screen. When selecting the appropriate print resolution, it is essential to balance the sharpness of images and text and efficiently use printing resources.

Useful tips 12 - Print Resolution

Important Things To Note

  • Using Print in Excel, one can typically adjust settings such as page orientation, size, scaling, and margin specifications to optimize printed output.
  • Advanced print settings allow users to define print areas based on specific criteria or filter conditions.
  • The Print function in Excel effectively ensures professionals can efficiently translate their digital insights into comprehensive reports and materials suitable for meetings, presentations, audits or other business contexts.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the common issues that may arise when printing in Excel? How to resolve them?

One common issue that may arise when printing in Excel is the problem of page breaks and the formatting of printed documents. Sometimes, the data in an Excel worksheet does not fit onto one page. This results in awkward breaks where certain rows or columns get split between two pages. This can disrupt the flow of information and make it difficult to read and understand. To resolve this issue, users can manually adjust the page breaks by going to the Page Layout tab, selecting “Page Setup,” and then choosing “Breaks” from there.

Another common problem is when printed documents appear differently from what is seen on the screen due to misalignment or incorrect scaling. In such cases, users should check their print settings and ensure they use the correct paper size for their printer. Adjusting margins and scaling options can also resolve formatting issues when printing in Excel effectively.

2. How can I adjust the printing settings in Excel?

To adjust the printing settings in Excel, navigate to the Page Layout tab in the ribbon menu. From here, we will find a group of tools specifically designed for configuring and formatting printable data.

Firstly, click on the “Page Setup” button to access an array of options such as adjusting margins, page orientation (portrait or landscape), scaling the print area, or selecting specific printed sheets.

Additionally, we can set headers and footers, which is extremely useful for adding titles, page numbers, or other relevant information to our printed Excel sheets.

Furthermore, under the “Sheet Options” section within Page Setup, choices like gridlines and row/column headings can be toggled on or off for printouts.

3. Is it possible to print formulas as they appear on the spreadsheet instead of the calculated values?

It is possible to print formulas as they appear on the spreadsheet instead of the calculated values. This can be achieved by adjusting a specific setting in the spreadsheet software. In Microsoft Excel, for instance, one can navigate to the “File” tab and open the “Options” menu. From there, selecting the “Advanced” tab provides access to various display options, including “Show formulas.” Enabling this option will ensure that formulas are printed exactly as entered on the spreadsheet, giving users a transparent view of how calculations are performed.

This has been a guide to What is Print In Excel. We learn the top 12 useful tips to consider before taking a print in excel. You can learn more from the following articles –

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